ADDISON
I donât understand. Earlier that morning he seemed genuinely upset that I had taken a worry to him about the sparring match. As his mate, wasnât I allowed to do that? I was getting irritated.
I had seen what my parents had. What Sam and his mate had. ~Heâs not making any effort at all~, I thought to myself as I sat by the pool in my favorite one-piece. It was a bit revealing in the best ways.
It was low cut but not so bad that you saw my belly button. The sides had straps that went all the way up, and the back was low. It was a sage-green color that made my skin glow.
The pack house had an Olympic-sized swimming pool out back, fit for all the hot summer days, and I was determined to enjoy it.
My wolf growled. ~âMake him see us. Make yourself a part of his every day. Maybe he just needs to get used to you.â~
~I guessâ¦~, I thought, pulling my large, brimmed hat down and closing my eyes for a minute.
I opened my eyes a few minutes later when a shadow covered me. âHey, can youâ¦ohâ¦â
Standing above me, eyes dark, was Slade. He was upset. I could tell by the way his eyes had changed from golden to almost black. He was having a hard time keeping his wolf in.
I sat up. âAlpha! Iâm sorry, Iâ¦â
âWhat are you playing at, Addison?â That was the third time he had ever said my name, but it was with such irritation that I didnât enjoy it.
âWhat do you mean?â I questioned, no idea how I had incurred his wrath.
âSmiling and laughing and baking muffins. Acting like you were worried earlier. What are you trying to accomplish?â He growled as he loomed over me.
âIâm sorry, what? What do you mean?â I saw red, and this man had no idea what was in store. âI canât worry for you when someone punches the crap out of you? I canât make some muffins?
âI used to make breakfast EVERY morning back home, and I was feeling homesick and knew you hadnât eaten. I was just trying to be nice! What is your problem?â
I got up from my chair and looked up at him defiantly. âAnd what the hell do you mean I canât go around laughing and smiling?!
âI am trying to make the best of a situation that I have zero control over. I am trying to be happy. Are you saying I canât be happy?â
Slade stepped back, a little less sure of himself. He hadnât expected me to fire back like that.
âIâ¦â
âAnd what is ~your~ deal?! You do know we are mates, right? That at some point you are going to have to speak to me or be in the same room as me or even make eye contact with me.
âYou sulk off every chance you get. Hiding in your room or your office or literally anywhere else than where I am. So screw you, Slade!
âIâm not going to waste my time being sad and timid just because youâre feeling a little grumpy and uncomfortable.â
I could feel the tears stinging my eyes, trying to surface. I was not going to let him see me cry. And with that, I huffed off, leaving him stunned and even more angry.
I slammed the door to my room. âHow dense is this guy?! Who does he think he is? MY bad that I was just trying to be nice, keep the peace, possibly form a friendship.
âAnd he just waltzes up, pissed, assuming I have some hidden agenda?!â I yelled to the room. My eyes were starting to go dark. I was losing control, and I could feel the anger my wolf had right now.
I took a breath and decided to take a long, hot shower.
After the shower, I felt better and relaxed. Just as I finished getting redressed, Hannah burst in.
âOh my gosh, Addie! Did you seriously just have a yelling match with Slade?!â Her eyes were wild with curiosity and humor.
âGirl! Youâve got some big ones sticking it to him like that! The whole pack house heard you! And then you just left him in a stupor!â At this point, she was on the bed, laughing.
I chuckled a bit, wishing I had seen Slade standing there all shocked at his little luna.
âYou made him mad, though. Heâs been in a mood ever since. Granted, he deserved it. I noticed heâs been keeping you at a distance.â
It piqued my interest, knowing she had noticed him being a jerk. âYeah, what is that even about? I thought as mates we could at least be friends. Iâd even settle for civil at this point.â
âNah, itâs because ofâ¦â Hannahâs eyes widened when she realized what she had started saying, and she immediately shut up.
âBecause of what, Han?â I was curious now, knowing there might be an actual reason behind his coldness toward me.
âItâs not my business,â she replied, shaking her head. âJust know that he has had a hard time. So maybe be patient with him. Unless he totally deserves it, like today! Girl!!â Hannah laughed again.
Her laugh was contagious, and we ended up both laughing and then spent the rest of the afternoon getting to know each other better.
Hannah was twenty, just a year younger than me and three years younger than her brother.
Because her dad died right after she graduated from high school, she ended up not leaving for college but had taken some courses at the local community college where she found she loved architecture.
She was a smart girl, and I could see her and all of her big dreams. At around five oâclock, our stomachs started to rumble, letting us know it was almost time to eat.
I hadnât seen Slade since our confrontation, and after my talk with Hannah, I felt a little guilty for going off on him like that. Even if he had started it.